fleeing the fires. a fast moving wildfire roars through colorado springs forcing more than 30,000 residents to run for their lives. run for their lives. >> the whole side of the mountain is -- is on fire. that's the only way i can describe it to you. decision day. the supreme court expected to rule on president obama's health care overhaul. and fighting obesity. the government approves the first new diet drug in more than a decade. captioning funded by cbs this is the "cbs morning news" for thursday, june 28th, 2012. good morning, everybody. good to be with you. i'm terrell brown. it is described as surreal and a monster. the fast moving destructive wildfire burning on the edge of colorado springs has turned that city into what looks like a war

zone. the waldo canyon wildfire in colorado springs is one of three major fires burning in colorado. aggressive flames rolling through colorado's second largest city and it is covered with smoke and ash. more than 30,000 people have been forced to evacuate. the fire doubled in size there yesterday. there are no official numbers. but reports estimate that about 300 homes have been destroyed. firefighters are battling record breaking heat and fierce winds. >> it's one of the reasons that it's difficult to fight is because we can't seem to figure out or it won't stay in the same place and the winds keep shifting on us. fire crews are trying to save the air force academy. president obama will visit the area on friday. meanwhile, evacuated residents are scared and anxious, waiting for word on the fate of their homes. dominon garcia of our affiliate is in colorado springs. >> reporter: stuck behind a road block, she felt helpless. >> my house is right on the verge of catching on fire.

>> reporter: she is one of 32,000 people evacuated. she and a handful of others used binoculars and telescopes anything they could to see if their homes were still standing. >> it's horrible. it's really bad, actually. you know? i have everything in there. you know? i didn't have time to evacuate. >> reporter: every road near the fire area was blocked off. it didn't work, but hanna begged police to let her get her cat. >> everybody thinks it's a big deal but it's a big deal. >> i saw the fire on the ridge. i ran back in and grabbed the prescription. >> reporter: while some felt helpless, others did what they could to help. erin miller doesn't think the doctor's office she works at is still standing so she spent the day delivering what medication she could. >> i felt like i could do more. i wish there was more i could do but it's a helpless situation. >> reporter: police weren't allowing anyone in and arrested a man who snuck past their road blocks. illegal, yes. but like so many others, he is desperate to know what is still standing. >> so you just think that must be my house but you don't know. you just want confirmation of what you're going to deal with.

>> reporter: if you go to about any road block, you'll hear stories like that. another sad note. all of those empty homes out there, they are giving criminals an opportunity. we have already heard of several instances of looting in the area. as for this fire, when it's dark you can get a sense of what the fire is doing. whether it's glowing and moving and how it's feeding off the dry vegetation and one area people are worried is the air force academy where several acres have already burn. right now, the army corps of engineers is there with bulldozers and heavy machinery and over a hundred people to try to stop these flames. by looking at them from earlier before, they may be in for one heck of a fight. in colorado springs, i'm dominique garcia, for cbs news. there is also fire trouble in montana. wildfires have burned more than 200 square miles in the southeastern part of that state. one fire, the so-called dal fire destroyed dozens of homes. about 600 people have been forced to evacuate. montana's governor brian schweitzer says it's one of the most dangerous fires in state history. this morning folks in florida are dealing with the

very wet aftermath of tropical storm debby that produced flooding that washed away roads and flooded entire neighborhoods in northern florida. the storm killed at least three people. officials say the water may not recede for days. today, the supreme court is expected to rule on the constitutionality of president obama's health care overhaul law. either way, the ruling will make history and impact the presidential race. susan mcginnis is in washington with more. susan, good morning to you. >> reporter: good morning, terrell. it is judgment day for the president. health care overhaul. also a big moment for the supreme court. one of the biggest decisions in the court's history. and republicans to try to use the outcome, whatever it is, to their own political advantage. the supreme court justices have heard the arguments from the lawyers. and the protesters. now, they will announce a landmark ruling on the constitutionality of the affordable care act, the hallmark achievement of the obama administration.

>> i believe health reform was the right thing to do. >> reporter: among the outcomes, the court could uphold the entire law or parts of it or throw it out altogether. >> i think it's extraordinarily unlikely the law would be thrown out in its entirety. >> reporter: the most controversial provision of the law, the individual mandate requires every american to buy health insurance. the white house says it's necessary to fund other provisions of the bill. >> the mandate will create a problem for the millions of uninsured and congress will need to act to go and provide -- find ways of providing coverage for those people. >> reporter: still, 68% of americans want the court to strike down the mandate. no matter which way the court rules, there will be a political impact that will help shape the november election. the white house says it's not worried about the ruling. >> we are confident that the law is constitutional. >> reporter: mitt romney says no matter what the court decides, the law has got to go. >> it was a moral failure to put forward a piece of legislation

that wouldn't help americans get back to work and to focus the energy, the white house, and obama care. >> reporter: romney says even if the law survives the supreme court, it won't survive his presidency. if elected, he says he'll repeal it and replace it. it's a defining moment for the supreme court, too. you know? five of the justices were appointed by republican presidents, four of them by democratic presidents. so if this ruling comes down looking like it's across those party lines, you can expect, terrell, a lot of criticism of the court for becoming too politicized. >> let's see what happens. susan mcginnis susan mcginnis in washington this morning, susan, thank you so much. a programming note. the court expected to issue that ruling sometime after 10:00 a.m. eastern. stay tuned to this cbs station for a cbs news special report on the ruling. house leaders plan go ahead today with a vote to hold attorney general eric holder in contempt of congress. holder attended the congressional picnic at the white house yesterday.

gop lawmakers want holder to hand over justice department documents pertaining to the fast and furious gun running sting operation. the white house invoked executive privilege to protect the documents. some democrats say they will vote to hold holder in contempt as well. no attorney general has ever been held in contempt of congress. cbs "moneywatch" time on this thursday morning. barclays bank pays a record settlement and google enters the tablet war. barclays bank and ashley morrison is here with more. >> reporter: good morning to you. european finance leaders meet today to discuss the debt crisis. investors want to see if the european central bank will initiate a third round of cheap long-term loans to stabilize the financial markets. overseas good economic data sent most stocks higher. the nikkei added 1.5% and hong kong's hang seng lost 0.5%. investors on wall street will keep an eye on medical and insurance companies who may be affected by today's health care ruling. on tuesday, the dow gained 92 points. the nasdaq was up 21. british bank barclays is is paying more than $453 million

to settle charges it tried to manipulate interest rates. the commission says barclays tried to influence an interest rate that affects how much consumers and businesses have to pay for their loans. the justice department is continuing a criminal investigation of the bank. california has passed a controversial state budget that will close a deficit of more than $15 billion. the plans call for cuts to welfare and social service programs and depends on voters approving more than $8 billion in temporary tax increases. if voters reject the plan, a series of automatic cuts go into effect, including cutting the public school year by three weeks. the brother of convicted bernie madoff will be headed to jail. on friday, peter madoff will admit to the role in his brother's ponzi scheme. bernard madoff insisted he acted alone. peter madoff will spend ten years in prison. according to new census figures, america urban centers

are growing faster than the surrounding suburbs for the first time in more than a century. the growth is attributed to young adults who delayed buying a home because of economic uncertainty and the access to more potential jobs in cities. google is launching its answer to apple's ipad. yesterday, company unveiled its nexus tablet 7 computer in san francisco. the tablet is smaller than the ipad but will sell for $199. the nexus 7 has a voice operated assistant much like siri and will run on google's latest android operating assistant. i'm looking for the operating assistant that does the laundry and vacuums and cooks! >> i wonder what the siri competition name will be. is it going to be ashley for google. >> i think that is a great idea! you need to call them now! >> ashley morrison, thank you so much. coming up on the "cbs morning news," help for the obese. the first weight loss pill in

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the food and drug administration has approved a new diet drug, the first to go on the market in more than a decade. it's a new weapon in this country's battle with obesity which affects more than 1 in 3 seth doane explains what it is and how it works. >> reporter: 15 years ago, lisa sutter started putting on weight. then she took part in a new trial of a diet pill. >> the very first day i took it, number of calories i was supposed to eat every day. i didn't feel an urge to overeat. >> reporter: the drug which will be marketed as belviq works by fooling the brain so patients feel fuller sooner. sutter lost 40 pounds, 20% of her body weight. most of the 8,000 patients in the trial did not have the same results as sutter. on average, those who took belviq, along with diet and exercise, lost 5.8% of their

body weight. the drug was rejected in 2010 over concerns about tumors in animal studies and worry about damage to heart valves. today, the fda recommended patients who have congestive heart failure use belviq with caution. this doctor who reviewed data still has her doubts about it. >> the benefit of the drug doesn't really outweigh the risks of the drug in terms of the benefit being so modest and no patients who were exposed to it. >> reporter: but for sutter, the drug was life changing. >> whatever went wrong 15 years ago in my body that started me on the path of gaining weight is fixed with this medicine. >> reporter: after the trial, lisa sutter regained all of the weight she had lost and now worries about developing diabetes. the latest tool in the difficult battle against obesity may be on the market by early next year. seth doane, cbs news, in the

morning news, cbs news, new york. starting in august if you're caught with marijuana in chicago, you'll get a ticket. the new law was approved yesterday by the chicago city council. it allows police to ticket people found with small amounts of marijuana rather than arresting them. freeing officers to deal with more serious crime. the penalty for possessing, up to 15 grams of pot, 250 to 500 dollars. let's watch and see what impact that has. still to come, your thursday morning weather. and in sports, it is going, going, caught. talk about an angel in the outfield. you'll want to see this one again. next! [ female announcer ] caltrate's done even more to move us. because vitamin d3 helps bones absorb calcium, caltrate's double the d. it now has more than any other brand

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it's you, fully charged. here's a look at the weather in some cities around the country. time now for a check on the national forecast. most of the country will be sunny and dry. thunderstorms will spread from wyoming to colorado and eastern utah and northern arizona and new mexico. but will bring little rain and lightning may spark more wildfires and heat spread from the southern plains across the southeast. isolated severe thunderstorms are likely from eastern iowa to michigan. and in the south -- in south florida area, the pacific northwest will see some showers. in sports this morning, a big night for texas left fielder david murphy at home against the tigers he hit a three-run homer in the second inning.

later he smacked a solo shot on his way to a 4 for 5 night with five rbis. the rangers led all the way held by ian kinsler two-run homer in the fourth. rangers beat the detroit 13-9. in philadelphia. chase utley homered in his first at-bat of the season coming off the dl. the pirates had some pop too. michael mchenry's three-run shot gave them the lead in the second. in the eighth, andrew mccutchen, two-run homer here put pittsburgh up 11-7 and that would be the final. in baltimore, the visiting angels, torii hunter yanked a home run into the left field seats in the first. play of the day, though, came in the bottom of the inning. a leaping over the fence grab by l.a. rookie star mike trout and robs j.j. hardy of a homer. angels pitcher jered weaver called it one of the best plays he has ever seen while on the mound. l.a. would win this one 13-1. here's an example of real hardheaded baseball. that is garrett cole, top pick in this year's draft, pitching

tuesday for a minor league pittsburgh affiliate taking a sharp line drive right in the face! this looked real, real bad for a minute here. the young right-hander lay on the mound and finally got up and even finishing the inning. amazingly, no broken bones or sign of a concussion. finally to european championship soccer. semifinal match between spain and portugal. scoreless draw. sabergas kicked the deciding penalty shot. and spain will face either germany or italy who play later today. when we return, another look at this morning's top stories. are we alonein? a revealing new survey on what americans think of ufos, including who they want in the white house if that alien invasion comes! i woke up with this horrible rash on my right side.

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on the "cbs morning news," here's a look at today's weather. . here's a look at the forecast on some cities around the country. here is another look at this morning's top stories. supreme court expected to rule this morning on president obama's health care overhaul law. the court could uphold the law or strike it down, or strike down parts of it, such as the requirement that most americans buy health insurance. the wildfire burning through colorado springs is burning and evacuations. a search for possible stow-aways will resume today in new jersey. it began yesterday after a coast guard inspection team heard knocking from a container on a cargo ship loaded with 2,000 of them. an all-day search found nothing

but many more containers remain. the ship had previously stopped in india, pakistan, and the middle east. a would-be thief in brockton, massachusetts, found himself in a jam. hernandez got stuck underneath a garage door at a rent-a-center on tuesday morning. police say the door fell on his head after he pried it open with a metal bed frame. failed! he was trapped for about nine hours. i don't know how you do that! a new survey shows a lot of americans believe in ufos. the term stands for unidentified flying objects, but most people identify them as flying saucers with aliens on board. national geographic survey suggests that more than one-third of americans, 36% believe they exist and 10% claim they have actually seen a ufo and it's hard what to make of this. 65% think president obama would handle an alien invasion better than mitt romney. we will have to see if he uses that on the campaign trail. coming up after your local news on "cbs this morning" what is behind the epidemic of day time sleepiness?

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4 minutes before 5:00 on this thursday morning. marty is in the weather center. >> take a look at the numbers right now. right now we're at about 65 degrees. it's more humid. it's not real uncomfortable right now. having said that, the fact of the matter is this, it's going to be a hot one. 88 at lunch on a way to a high of 90. here is what we have on eye on today. a state prison inmate being sentenced to 4 years for sending a threatening letter to a federal judge. today over 1,000 young men and women will arrive at the naval academy. communities in baltimore and the eastern shore are selected to receive green street grants to protect the environment as well

as create jobs. a police officer has been charged weeks after the death of a baltimore county teenager. an indictment has come down. fanning the flames, winds worsen the colorado wild fires as thousands more flee their homes. it's back to the pool, find out how michael phelps did last night. more news, more weather and your first traffic report of the first in a,,,,,,,,,,,,,,